Given their record, at this point someone should sue the state of Massachusetts and ask that funds be sequestered straight out of the state's bank accounts to fund the legally required mitigation process. The state has proved its intent to violate the law often enough over the last few decades.

"(i) Before December 31, 2011, complete final design of the Red Line/Blue Line Connector, from the Blue Line at Government Center to the Redline at Charles Station"

So, they should face whatever penalties are due. There's no accountability here. I can't wait for the day I can just remove portions of a traffic violation to make the date which payment is due by optional. Wouldn't that be fantastic?

It's not a new violation, either. This request has been on the table for 1-1/2 years, and the CLF is challenging their legal jurisdiction to even initiate the move in the first place. I suppose since the request is still "pending" they've got to keep holding hearings and soliciting public comment, but nothing is happening here other than keeping a bunch of lawyers rich for the time being. Should be interesting to see how passive-aggressive the non-responses are to the public at that meeting.

I kind of doubt you'd see that request acted upon any which way before legislative hearings about agency reform. Another CLF dispute over the Transit Commitments is semi-useful for them to have a round as a mitigating factor when hashing out a debt deal with the Legislature. They're not going to be in much of a hurry to settle the issue when they can point to it as one ongoing reason that the Big Dig debt is killing them.

Did anyone else voice their opinion today? I went and attacked MassDOT for trying to deprive the MBTA system from this project. I stressed that this is a problem for all lines in the system, and that GLX is only going to make the situation worse. Everyone who attended was in support of the R-B connector. I also noted the entire North Shore would benefit, from Eastie to Salem. MassDOT must be held accountable and I requested that MassDEP stick it to 'em.

I also commented, pointing out that this is part of a long-running *conspiracy* to violate the Clean Air Act.

At this point I do not expect that anything will be fixed until money is sequestered straight out of the Commonwealth's bank accounts and given to an independent master appointed by a judge to construct the projects. That's a fairly extreme remedy, but it's been *TWENTY YEARS* of foot-dragging, which amounts to a conspiracy to violate the law.